This invention is directed to a fluid propulsion device and toy vehicles which utilize the fluid propulsion device and move in unique manners. One of the embodiments of the invention utilizes a lazy tong mechanism to propel the toy vehicle. A second of the embodiments of the invention utilizes a plurality of arcuate members which are mounted and rotate off-center to propel the toy vehicle. A third of the embodiments of the invention utilizes moving appendages to propel the toy vehicle. The propulsion device of these embodiments can utilize a toggle action to control a control valve which, in turn, controls charging or exhausting of a pressurized fluid to a cylinder and piston to provide the power for the above described vehicles.
In application Ser. No. 95,785, co-invented by one of us, toy vehicles are described which utilize fluid reservoirs holding compressed gas to drive a fluid engine. The fluid engine drives a drive shaft, which in turn provides rotary motion for wheels or other rotating devices to provide for propulsion of the toy vehicles. The rotary output of the fluid engine in that application provides power for somewhat conventionally shaped vehicles adapted to mimic cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes and the like.
The fluid engine and the vehicles adapted to utilize this fluid engine as described in the above referred to patent application have many advantages over other known toy vehicles. The sole source of energy utilized to propel these vehicles is, in essence, "child power." A pump operated by a child is utilized to pressurize a reservoir which in turn drives the fluid engine of the above referred to patent application. No batteries or other expendable energy sources are thus required to operate these vehicles. The child can thus play with the vehicle for as long a period as the child desires without being forced to abandon play because of "dead batteries" and the like.
Because the vehicles described in the above identified patent application utilize a low pressure fluid as the power source, the engine components of the vehicle can be made of transparent material, allowing the child to actually view the working components of the engines. This proves fascinating and stimulating to the mind of the child, and helps the child develop concepts of mechanics.
While the fluid engine and the vehicle which utilize its rotary output of application Ser. No. 95,785 have been highly successful and have contributed considerable play value to the users thereof, they are based on conventional type vehicles which the child encounters in his real world. Often in playing, the child likes to use his imagination and dream up situations which in fact have no concept in reality. To a child, a particular toy vehicle can, in one instance, be a conventional truck, and in a second instance, be a space ship. In view of the inclination of the child to modify his toys into things which in essence have no real counterpart in reality, it is deemed that there exists the need for a series of toy vehicles which are not conventional in nature and which do not operate as per any existing known real-life counterparts.